Portland parking manager Ellis K. McCoy, speaking outside his Hillsboro apartment today, said he has not taken any bribes or kickbacks and was stunned to find himself at the center of a federal corruption probe.

"I have not taken any kickbacks to influence any contracts," Ellis said. "Those contracts are very solid."

The city selected Cale Parking Systems USA Inc. to provide SmartMeter parking machines because of the product, not the personality behind the company, he said.

Federal investigators are looking into allegations that McCoy accepted bribes from Cale's president, George Levey, as he steered more than $20 million in contracts to the Tampa, Fla., company. They're also investigating whether checks from Levey were deposited in a private business McCoy set up between May 2004 and 2007 called EKM Consulting.

McCoy today called that untrue.

"We select the contractor for the equipment, the technology," he said. "It has nothing to do with the personality."

Asked about his relationship with Levey, McCoy said, "George is a nice , and he's a good businessman. I'm the type of person who gets to know people."

But McCoy would not discuss the purpose or focus of his now-defunct consulting company. "I can't answer that,'' he said.

Federal agents raided McCoy's apartment and his eighth-floor office in the Portland Building on Wednesday morning. They also raided Levey's business office in Tampa on Wednesday.

McCoy, who was at work at the time of the morning raid, said it was unsettling.

"They just burst in there and said they had a federal search warrant and said give us all you've got," he said.

He spent hours with the FBI and IRS agents Wednesday and intends to fully cooperate, he said. He has not obtained a lawyer at this time, he said.

McCoy filed a court claim against the city in November 2008, arguing that he had been the victim of harassment by parking meter technicians who accused him of taking bribes from Cale, but he did not follow up with a lawsuit.

"I couldn't bring myself to sue my employer,'' McCoy said Thursday. "The city of Portland has been very good to me.''

Now on paid administrative leave, McCoy said he was unable to sleep last night.

He's embarrassed by the attention this has brought to the city and his family, he said.

"I apologize to the citizens of Portland, the transportation staff, the City Council,'' McCoy said. "It's really been hell.''